Stingray Killer
The Stingray Killer is the nickname given to the unidentified serial killer who enacted a number of unresolved back to back murders between the years of 1994 to 1999, and also in 2009, in San Jose, California. The killer’s nickname comes from the mysterious fact that each and every victim was found in the trunk of an unregistered Corvette Stingray. The killer is known to have targeted single parents, with each being a child molester and each also having an ongoing addiction to methamphetamine. One mysterious aspect of all the murders is that the children of each victim was given a trust fund with 5 million dollars, all from an unknown philanthropist. Each murder also occurred on the same day, November 4th, with the same message being left engraved in the skin of each victims back. The message read, “If you already act as a real parent, ignore this message, you are safe. For the rest of you, you know who you are. Unless you show me change, I will create it.” The first victim’s body was discovered in the parking lot of San Jose State University on November 4th 1994. Authorities responded to a call of a suspicious Corvette Stingray being parked in a handicap space of the local university, for nearly a full day. After inspecting the car, authorities found the body in the trunk. No evidence was found, only the cryptic message engraved in the back of the victim. Each consecutive year, every victim’s body was discovered mysteriously in the parking lot of a school. Detectives could not find any evidence around the crime scene that could link the murders to a possible suspect. The killer was suspected to a professional, since no evidence of any kind was left at the crime scene. After the murders occurred annually for 2 years, authorities began to realize that the pattern was not going to stop. A city wide order was issued advising all residents to remain in their homes on November 4th. The last of the consecutive murders took place in 1999, with the body being discovered again in the parking lot of San Jose State University. No murders from the Stingray Killer occurred for the next 6 years, so authorities marked the case as “inactive” in 2005. On November 4th, 2009, on the tenth anniversary of the Stingray Killer’s first murder, authorities picked up the case once again after responding to a call of a suspicious Corvette Stingray parking in a resident’s driveway with the engine still running. Authorities arrived at the scene and discovered the killer’s first victim in ten years with a symbol of a stingray engraved into the skin of the victim. Just like the previous occurrences, no evidence was found. As of 2016, no cases related to the Stingray Killer have occurred since the last murder in 2009 and the case has once again been marked as “inactive”. As of 2014, the children of all the victims have collectively created a nonprofit organization called Stingray Children which is geared at helping struggling parents who want to improve the livelihood of themselves and their family.